Page 73 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

T ALLINN 71

the vaulted ceiling is impressive u Fat Margaret
and the church tower has Tower
a viewing platform with breath- Paks Margareeta
taking vistas of the city. The
exterior rear wall features an Pikk 70. Map 2 D1. Tel 641 1408. @ 3.
elabo rately carved 15th-century v 1, 2. Open 10am–6pm Wed–Sun.
tombstone of Johann Ballivi, a & 8 call in advance. =
victim of the plague. ∑ meremuuseum.ee
The 16th-century tower’s
evocative name derives from
y Three Sisters the fact that it was the largest
Kolm õde part of the city’s fortifications,
with walls measuring 4 m
Pikk 71. Map 2 D1. @ 3. v 1, 2.
(13 ft) thick. It was originally
Situated at the northern end built to defend the harbour
of Pikk Street, the Three Sisters as well as to impress visitors
are three adjoining medieval arriving by sea. Later, the tower
merchants’ houses that have was transformed into a prison
Tallinn and the Baltic Sea, as seen from been tastefully con verted and was the scene of an
St Olav’s Church into a single luxury hotel (see outbreak of violence during
p297). The houses were built the 1917 Revolution, when the
t St Olav’s Church in 1362 and were functional prison guards were murdered
Oleviste kirik commercial pre mises, by a mob of work ers, soldiers
complete with loading hatches and sailors.
Lai 50. Map 1 C1. Tel 641 2241. @ 3.
and winches to hoist sacks Fat Margaret Tower now
v 1, 2. Open Apr–Oct: 10am–6pm
daily. & 5 ∑ oleviste.ee of goods up and down. The serves the more peaceful
houses’ original owners, who func tion of housing the
St Olav’s 124-m (407-ft) spire is were mostly guild elders, town Estonian Maritime Museum
a major Tallinn landmark and councillors and burgo masters, (Eesti meremuuseum), with a
the church holds a proud place also used their pre mises to cur ious collection of nautical
in local history. The legend entertain foreign guests whom para phernalia spread out
goes that Tallinners they met on their over four storeys. The exhibits
wanted to build business trips abroad. include an insight into
the tallest spire in the The elegant gabled shipbuilding and historical
world to attract houses are among accounts of Estonia’s harbours.
merchant ships and the best-preserved There is also a scale model
a complete stranger buildings from the of the Estonia, the car and
promised to help 14th century and passenger ferry that sank
them. As pay ment form a valuable between Tallinn and
he wanted the city Detail of stone carving on addi tion to the Stockholm in 1994. There are
people to guess his rear of St Olav’s Church magnifi cent surround- gorgeous views of the Old
name. When the ings of Pikk Street. Town and Tallinn’s harbour and
church was nearing The Three Sisters Hotel proudly bay from the top of the tower.
completion, the city fathers counts the UK’s Queen
sent a spy to his home and Elizabeth II and the singer E Estonian Maritime Museum
found out his name. They Sting among its many famous Pikk 70. Tel 641 1408.
called out “Olev” when he was past guests. Open 10am–6pm Wed–Sun. &
fixing the cross and he lost his
balance and fell. In fact, the
name of the church was in
homage to King Olav II of
Norway. The original 159-m
(522-ft) spire made the church
the tallest building in the world
until a lightning strike burned it
down in 1625. Amazingly, the
church was struck by lightning
six times and burned down
twice between then and 1820.
The original 16th-century
structure of the church was
renovated extensively in the
19th century. St Olav’s interior is
not especially striking, although The Seaplane harbour at the Estonian Maritime Museum